Roof or floor construction



Aug. 28, 1923.

H. E. MARKS ROOF OR FLOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed Ap FIE.E.

lNVENTOR parallel spaced flanged bars Patented Aug. 28, 1923.

STATE HERBERT E. MARKS, 0F GLEN OSBORNE, SEWICKLEY, PENNSYLVANIA.

ROOF OR FLOOR CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed April 14, 1922. Serial No. 552,490.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT E. MARKS, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Glen Osborne, Sewickley, in the county of Alleghenyand State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement inRoof or Floor Constructions, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to roof or floor constructions of the type inwhich cast slabs of "cementitious material are su ported on or eams,andin which metal mesh reinforcement or its equivalent is embedded in thecementitious slabs.

The object of the present invention is to increase the strength of suchroof or floor constructions by locking together the reinforcing membersat the contiguous ends of adjacent slabs to form 'a continuousreinfprkcement for the entire length of a panel of s a s.

Generally stated, the invention consists in having the reinforcements ofthe slabs-project beyond their ends, and providing means forinterlocking with tions to connect the reinforcement of ad jacent slabswhereby to form a continuous reinforcement.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of aroof construction, partly broken away, showing one form of theinvention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 2-2, Fig. 1;Fig. 3 shows one of the joints of Fig. 2 on an'enlarged scale; Fig. 4 isa detail view illustrating the manner of connecting the reinforcingmembers; and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showing thefinishing sheet on the lower face of the cementitious slabs.

The drawings illustrate the invention a plied to a roof construction,but it can e applied in an exactly similar way to a floor construction.In the drawings 1 represents the main beams of the structure, which inthe case of a roof will be the purlins. 2 are flanged bars supported onthe main beams or purlins, and spaced in parallelism and at distancesapart equal to the width of the cementitious slabs. These bars are shownas T-bars having their legs extending upwardly and having laterallyprojectin flanges 4 at their bases. Any equivalent ars having lateralprojecting flanges below their upper edges will answer the same purpose.

5 indicates the cementitious slabs, which such projectmg porwill be castin now well known ways, of a width approximately equal to the distancebetween the flanged bars 2 and of any convenient or desired length. Theyare supported by the bars 2 by resting on the lateral projecting flanges4 thereof.

These cementitious slabs have embedded therein a suitable metalreinforcement, which may be of any suitable kind providing only it hasmembers extending substantially longitudinally of the slab. It isillustrated as an open metal mesh comprising longitudinal or strandwires or rods 6 and cross or stay wires or rods 7 secured to thelongitudinal wires or rods preferably by electrically welding the samethereto. The reinforcementis of a length slightly greater than thelength of the slabs so that the longitudinal or strand members thereofproject beyond the ends of the slab to such distances that when theslabs are placed in position said projecting ends will overlap. Thelongitudinal reinforcement members 7 are provided with hook-like endportions 8, which are interlocked with those of the adjacent slab andthus serve to connect the longitudinal members to form a continuousreinforcement. These hook portions preferably will be formed in thelongitudinal members before embedding the reinforcement in thecementitious material, thus insuring that the hook portions of all ofthe longitudinal members of a slab are in alignment transversely of theslab. Consequently when these members are hooked together all of thehook connections will interlock with equal closeness, so that all of thelongitudinal members will be effective as tension members.

In order to facilitate connecting these joints when laying the slabs inplace, the ends of the hooks atone end of the slabs may be left open, asindicated in Fig. 4, so as to more readily slip into the hooks of theconnecting members. Said open hooks may be afterwards closed, ifdes1red, by a suitable tool. It is not necessary, however, that thehooks be closed, as both sets of hooks may be sufliciently open topermit of their ready interlocking.

In order to provide a finish on the lower face of the roof or floor atthe joint, a metal member 10 is placed transversely between the parallelbars 2, and of sufficient width to effectively overlap the joint andconceal the same. Preferably this member will be of T- form in crosssection so as to give it sufiicient stiffness to hold rigidly inposition. It may also serve, by melting it sulficiently heavy, as ssupport for the ends of ad acent slabs. In laying u sloping roof theslabs at the ridge will be first pleced in position, segured in place,and the succeeding slebs lower down will be successively placed in.position, the ends of the projecting reinforcements hooked together, endthus in or sense the succeeding slebs hung onto the upper slabs. ln thisway all sleet: is taken up and the reinfor'ceinent is put in initialtension, so that in the complete structure the reinforcement becomeseffective as e tension member, In lay ng e list root or floor, theinitial tension can be secured by securing one slob in position, thenlnying nest slab in piece, hooking the projecting ends of thereinforcement together, and then moving the lost laid sloblongitudinally until all sleek is taken up.

After the slabs are properly positioned the gaps between adjacent slebsare filled with grouting, es shown l2, entirely closing seid grips andembedding the joint,

in eflect forming as continuous cementitious slsb,

For root end lilo-or constructions in which the lovver 'feces of thecementitious slebs are exposed, the slebs will be provided with esuitable fibre facing, such as n sheet or strong paper or the like, usshown otlb, Fig, 5, This lacing con conveniently be epplied by piecing esheet of peper or the like in the bottom or the slab mold and thencosting the slab onto seid sheet. Such finishing sheet gives smoothslightly finish to the lower farce of the rector tloor structure. Italso does sway With the necessity of csrelu J brushing otif the more orless loose particles from the lower faces of such slabs, which is nowdone to prevent them from dropping dovvn into the room below. Even withcereful brushing, or dusting as it is celled, some particles afterwardsbecome detached and fell down: The finishing sheet entirely preventsthis.

Preferably the slabs 5 ore provided with cored out openings or passagesbetween their top surface and the motel reinforcement, in order toreduce their Weight. Prefersbly these openings or passages Will extendlengthwise of the slebs, that is, parallel to the longitudinal or strsndmembers 6 of the reinforcement, end are loceted midway therebetvveen esshown at 16, Figs. 3 end 5, thereby leeving the portion of the slabdirectly overlyin the strand Wires un-' broken end intect toreffectively distributing the strains throughout the entire structure.Such openin will be formed in the molding of the s ebs by the use ofsuitable vvithdrevvoble cores, as will be readily understood.

Menilestly in lieu of the purlins and I incense parallel T-bers shown,various frame constructions they be used to support the slabs: indeedthe slebs may be supported directly by the main booms of the roof orfloor structure, by spacing of the main booms so as not to exceed theWidth or length of the slebs.

The root or door construction described slabs, said projecting endsbeing bent trens versely of the ones or seid members end interlocked"with the bent ends oil the iongitudinel members of contiguous slebs toform u continuous reinforcement, o fibre sheet closely ndhering to thelower surface of the slabs, e transverse member disposed Within the gepbetween contiguous slebs end provided "with luterelly royeeting portions underlying the of ssid contiguous slebs whereby to present asfinished eppeerence end to prevent the seperetion or the fiber sheetfrom the body or the slnb adjacent the seld edges 2. root or tloorconstruction cornpris ing supporting hers, cernentitious slebs restingon sold bars, motel reinforcement embedded in said slabs andhevinglongitudinal members projecting beyond the ends of said slebs,seid projecting ends being bent transversely to the taxes or sold memhers and interlocked with the bent ends of the longitudinal members ofcontiguous slabs to form at continuous reinforcement, fiber sheetclosely adhering to the lower surface of the slebs, en invertedl"-sheped members projecting beyond the endsot' said Mill ill)

transverse member having its Web portion vin'g supporting bers,cementitious slebs rest ing on said hers, motel reinforcement embeddedin seid slabs end having spaced parallel longitudinal members projectinbeyond the ends of said slabs, the body 0 the slab being provided withcored out page sages disposed in vertical planes mums:

llti

diate the longitudinal members whereby to leave the portion of the bodyoverlying the said longitudinal members unbroken, said projecting endsbeing bent transversely to the axes of said members and interlocked withthe bent ends of the longitudinal members of contiguous slabs to form acontin uous reinforcement, a fiber sheet closely ad hering to the lowersurface of the slabs, a transverse member disposed within the gapbetween contiguous slabs and provided with laterally projecting portionsunderlying the edges of said contiguous slabs, whereby to present afinished ap earance and to prevent the separation 0? the fiber sheetfrom the body of the cent the said edges.

In testimony whereof, I sign my name.

HERBERT E. MARKS,

slab adj a- Witness EDWIN 0. JoHNs.

